Tenerife Calls for Enhanced Airfire Resources Amid Forest Fire Threats
Tenerife’s Cabildo has passed a resolution urging the Spanish government to keep the Air Tractor AT-802 stationed in the Canary Islands. This fixed-wing aircraft is currently the only one capable of aerial firefighting in the archipelago and is vital for applying chemical retardants to slow down wildfires.
The motion, approved during a plenary session on 26 June, highlights the increasing risk of wildfires in the region due to rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and the abandonment of rural areas. These factors threaten both the natural environment and local communities.
The Cabildo stresses the importance of the Air Tractor AT-802, noting its unique operational capabilities for immediate fire suppression and creating long-lasting control lines. Substituting it with a helicopter would mean losing an essential tool in tackling and preventing large wildfires.
Additionally, the plenary has called for an increase in aerial resources for fire campaigns in the Canary Islands, taking into account the unique geography of the archipelago and the numerous populated areas near forested regions. They believe enhanced resources will help improve response times in the critical early stages of a fire, preventing small incidents from escalating into significant emergencies, such as the wildfire experienced in Tenerife in 2023.
The resolution also states that if other islands need specific reinforcements for fire campaigns, they should be provided without withdrawing the Air Tractor from Tenerife. This ensures that the archipelago maintains sufficient resources to address one of its most pressing environmental and civil protection challenges each summer.
Moreover, the Cabildo has urged the Spanish government to explicitly recognise the unique nature of the Canary Islands in the national planning of firefighting resources, ensuring a permanent allocation of aerial firefighting assets that exceeds what would be expected based solely on population or territory.
